


Chain Reaction

by sgtxliptonsx86



Category: Band of Brothers (TV 2001)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:35:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27925381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sgtxliptonsx86/pseuds/sgtxliptonsx86
Summary: When Olivia Stewart was 13 years old, her family relocated to South Philly from Charleston, South Carolina. And there she met Bill Guarnere  and it set off the first chain reaction. At 16 she falls in love with him and tries to hide it. By 18 they were together and everyone thought  that they were heading for the big Italian wedding but their whole world was shaken up when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and it set off a series of chain reactions that either one of them were ready for.
Relationships: Bill Guarnere & Babe Heffron, Bill Guarnere/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my second time writing this and I am already enjoying it a lot more. This is purely based off of the actors portrayal and not the real life heroes. No disrespect is meant.

1945  
New Jersey

“Are you sure you just don’t want to go home first Liv?” Babe Hefferon asked as he pulled down Olivia’s bags from the rack above their heads. She had decided at the last minute to go to New Jersey first then home. New Jersey was where her long time boyfriend Bill Gaurene and his best friend Joe Toye were sent after they were both injured in Bastogne. 

“I am sure Babe.” Olivia Stewart returned glancing up at him, “I need to make sure he is okay before I go home and get bombarded with questions from not only his parents but mine.” “Liv.” He started again, he hated that she was going by herself to see two of the men they served with and even more that she was going to have to go from Jersey to South Philly by herself. 

“Babe.’ Olivia sighed as she stood up and started doing the buttons up on her coat. “I know you want to watch out for me because of some promise you made Bill. But I am a big girl, I served in the Army and with the paratroopers no less. I can take care of myself. Besides how much trouble can I get into a military hospital?’ 

Unable to help himself, he grinned, by herself Olivia was on her best behavior. It was when she was with Easy Company is when she got into trouble. “I should get off before they keep going to Philly.” She said as she slid her well worn medical bag over her head and let it rest on her right side. Babe nodded his head and pulled in for another hug tightly. “Be careful Edward.” She said quietly her words being muffled by his uniform. 

“You too, Frances.” The redhead returned with a grin and wince when her hand smacked his chest. “I will see you in a couple of weeks.” She returned as she stood up on her toes and pressed her lips against his cheek.  
***  
“First time in the Jersey Shore?” The taxi driver asked Olivia causing her to look up from her gloved hands to him. ‘Yes it is.” She returned. “I take it you aren’t here for fun.” He had been eyeing her uniform since she got in the back of the cab, they had all heard of the women serving in the war, even seen pictures of them in the newspapers and magazines but he never thought he would see one sitting in his cab. “No.’ She returned, “I just have one more thing to do before I go home.’  
The other reason why she was putting off going home other than seeing Bill and Joe was because she knew her mother was going to be in South Philly and she wanted to put off seeing her for as long as possible. The fight they had was still fresh in the back of her head along with many other fights she had gotten into and she needed to process before she did go home to face her family.  
The cabbie nodded his head and pulled in front of the hotel that was down the street from the hospital. “Well I am sure whoever you are seeing will be happy to see you.” ‘Thank you.” She returned before she ducked out of the backseat and under the covering to the building.  
***  
“Sargent Stewart ma’am.’ A nurse said from behind her a short time later, ‘If you will follow me, I will show you where you can wait. It seems that Sargent Guarene and Sargent Toye have been causing some sort of trouble.” Olivia couldn’t help her laughter that bubbled up, “Sounds about right for them. Always causing trouble in one form or another.” The nurse nodded her head as she opened a door to a small adjoining room, “I will go see how long it will be.” “Thank you.’ She returned as she sat down at the small table, knowing Bill and Joe, it would be awhile it always was. But this one time, she was willing to wait.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 01.

Cold Winter’s Morn  
South Philly   
Dec 7 1941

“Hate the snow. Hate the snow.” Olivia muttered as she hurried up the stairs to her house, having finished her shift at the hospital where she had been volunteering to keep herself busy now that her boyfriend and brothers were working full time at the factories. “You know Liv, you have only been living here since you were 13, you should be used to the snow by now.’ Andie Stewart, Olivia’s stepmother commented as she opened the front door for her. 

“It’s never gonna happen Ma.” She commented as she slipped on the slick top stair and caught herself on the railing, “See? I have done that 5 times since I left the hospital.” “Just be glad your brothers and Bill are working, they would have teased you.” Andie returned as Olivia stepped into the house and shut the door behind her. “May did that enough for them all the way until we got to her house.” 

May Jenkins was Olivia’s best friend and had taken up volunteering as well to keep her company and to get away from the strictness of her parents, she had followed Olivia around so much that James and Andie started referring to May as their other daughter. 

“I fell once and she laughed at me for a good 5 minutes before she helped me up.” The second Mrs. Stewart nodded her head as the youngest Stewart boy Michael came running into the hallway with a Hersey’s bar in his hand.

“Livvy! Happy Birthday!” He said, “Mama said to give this to you.” “Well thank you Michael.’ Olivia grinned as she scooped him up and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“Eww! Gross! Down!’ He demanded as he wiggled around in her arms to get down. She laughed and sat him down on his feet.

‘How does it feel to be 18?” James asked as he came into the hallway wearing a smile. 

“No different than being 17.’ She was the last one of the older Stewart siblings and the neighborhood kids to turn 18 and she felt behind but now once again she could play catch up.

“Um Pop? You better come hear this.” Robert Stewart as he came out of the living room, his face ashen. “What’s wrong?” James asked, turning on his heel and looking at his son. “I think the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.’ Olivia felt her heart drop into her stomach, their older brother Lee, who had stayed in Charleston had been shipped off to Pearl Harbor with the Navy just a few weeks before. “Bobby are you sure?” She questioned as she followed her parents into the living room. “90% sure Liv.” Unable to answer, she nodded numbly and sat down on the worn well loved couch that was by the fireplace.

They had all been following the war since it broke out in 1939 and Andie who had two older sons from her first marriage as well as step sons from her second had been praying every night that they didn’t join the war. And she wouldn’t have to prepare herself to bury one of them. 

And Olivia joined her for her own reason, not just because of her brothers but because of her boyfriend Bill and his older brother Henry who were coming of age to fight. War was a nightmare that kept her up most nights. And it seemed more and more real. 

She knew her brothers and she knew Bill better then she knew herself, they would all be joining up. And she could tell from the glint in Bobby’s eyes that he was already planning on going down to the office and signing up. And she would have to face her biggest fear, being left behind without her brothers and without Bill and Henry. Sure she would have the hospital and have her two young half siblings to care for but that wouldn’t stop the nightmares or the bad thoughts. 

The door swung open and Bobby’s twin brother James and Bill came into the house, they had just finished one of the longer shifts at the factories and their first stop instead of the bar it was the Stewart household. 

James had pushed going home first not only because of it being Olivia’s birthday but because of the news. He knew that Lee had been shipped out and that Nicholas was in bootcamp at the moment. That one Olivia didn’t know about, they decided it would be better for her not to know until much later on. 

She was their little perfectionist, their little shadow, anything they did. She wanted to do too, but this, the war, she wasn’t going to be able to do. Especially with their mother Katherine being how she was. She wanted Olivia to be the perfect little southern belle, who submitted to every whim and need of her family. But instead she got a perfectionist that would rather chase after her brothers and do everything they did. 

Scraped knees and all.  
**  
Olivia barely budged when Bill joined her on the love seat. He didn’t speak, he just put his arm around her shoulders and let her listen to the news. 

He had known it had been a possibility when one of the army recruiters showed up at the factory with paperwork saying that because of their jobs, he and James were exempt from joining the military, but they both had torn up the papers and threw them away. 

They both knew that it was going to cause a fight with Olivia and she was going to be mad, probably madder than they had ever seen her but she had to understand.

She just had too.


	3. Accept It

Accept It

March 1942

“You guys are going to need to come clean with her.” Bobby commented as he glanced down the crowded school hallway looking for his younger sister to appear so they could walk home, ‘she is going to figure it out and it's going to end up hurting her a lot more in the long run. And we do not want to leave Dad and Andie with a pissed off hurting Olivia.” 

“She won’t stay mad and hurt forever.” James muttered, he knew that wasn’t true, Olivia could hold onto her hurt and anger for years and never let the person who hurt her know that she was upset with them or why she was. And he didn’t want to go to bootcamp with her being upset with him. 

“I am talkin’ to her tonight.” Bill muttered as he leaned against the locker, he had tried to bring it up several times that he had thrown away the papers, they were with their families or he couldn’t get the words out quick enough or the subject got changed before he could bring it up.

“Hey Liv, took you long enough.’ Bobby greeted seeing Olivia come down the hall brushing past the remaining teens. “Sorry, the head nurse from the hospital was down here.’ She returned, “She pulled me and May out of last period to talk to us.” 

“About what?” Bobby asked confused, usually it was him, James and Bill that got pulled out of classes for something they did. 

“They are doing recruitment for the army nursing corp and they want me and May to join.” Olivia answered as she fixed her scarf around her neck, her eyes looking anywhere but her brothers and boyfriend.

“Nursing corp? Like they are going to let you go to hospitals in combat areas?” 

Bill was floored, a mixture of anxiety and anger filling him, it was one thing to put himself in danger but it was another for Olivia to do so. 

“First they would send us to boot camp. Then yes from what we were told it would bases in anywhere they need us really.” “You're not seriously thinking about this?” James beat Bill to the comment and he was glad he did, because James out of all of them had a better hold on his temper.

“I don’t know maybe. How is it fair that the boys get to go off and fight for their country and family but girls like me and May have to stay home?” She returned as she folded her arms and glared at her older brother, ‘it’s a bunch of bullshit and you know it.’   
“Come on, let's go home, I am sure Dad will want to weigh in on this.” Bobby cut in before things go get worse and an argument could break out in the middle of the hallway. The bonde didn’t say anything as she turned on her heel and went down the hallway towards the exit. 

“So much for her not being upset.”   
**  
“So Mrs. Hayes was contacted by someone within the nursing corp and they want you and May to join?” James Senior clarified as Andie sat down a coffee mug down in front of him. 

“Yes, we are a little younger than what they wanted but they need help. Pearl caught them off guard like the rest of the military.” Olivia answered her hands wrapped around her own coffee mug.   
Her brothers and Bill were sitting across the table in stony silence, knowing that James would handle it if he needed too, and their opinions wouldn’t be needed or welcome at this point in the conversation. “They said that whatever we do with the army would count towards the nursing credit at the university. And they would pay for the schooling too after the war.’   
Being a nurse had always been Olivia’s dream career mostly after hearing stories from her great grandmother about being at Gettysburg and helping the wounded soldiers. She all but idolized her great grandmother for that. And she knew that her family was still recovering from the depression and they wouldn’t be able to send her to school. So this was the only way she was going to be able to achieve that dream.

“I don’t want to sit at home and worry about my brothers and the boys in the neighborhood that are going.” Her blue eyes flicked towards her brothers and Bill and they slouched down in their seats, she knew and there was going to be no way around this right now.

“I know war isn’t a place for a woman especially an 18 year old one. But if I can help them. I want to.” She had been really swayed by the speech that the recruiter that had been with Mrs Hayes gave her and May and she had already made up her mind before she left the office that she needed to do this. “I will drive myself crazy sitting home and worrying about if they are okay or not. And ya’ll know that I will.’ She had worn a path in the rug in her room from her worry not hearing if her brother Lee was okay or not. Who knows what she could do if they were separated for years. 

As much as James hated to let his baby girl go and face the danger and the horrors that came along with the war, he knew that he had to let her go. All of his children at one point or another would be making decisions like this, he just didn’t think that Olivia’s time would come now. He thought she would have several years and that nursing degree under her belt. But the world had other plans and he had to deal with it now. 

“When would you be leaving?” “After graduation. We will be somewhere for boot camp for 6 weeks and then from there they aren’t sure’ 

“Dad you aren’t going to let her do this are you?’ Bobby asked, unable to keep quiet any longer. “I am.” “Really?” It was Andie who spoke for the first time since the teens had come into the room. James nodded his head, “Only way she is going to be able to achieve her dream.’ “Thank you.’ Olivia mouthed at her father before looking at her brothers and her boyfriend. 

She had been waiting for a huge blow up especially from Bill who always had a slight problem overacting when it came to Olivia. “You threw away the paper work didn’t you?” “How did you know?” “Bill’s Mom made a comment about it the other day when I was over there helping out. Said she was surprised that I didn’t flip my lid and yell. Or get mad like she did.’ “Why didn’t you say anything?” James asked, relief flooding his body, Olivia didn’t seem like was too angry. She shrugged her shoulders, “No use in it. I know you all better than that. I am not happy with it. But I am going to accept it because I know that’s what I have to do.” 

Bill who had been quiet stood up from the table, “We need to talk.’ His voice was gruff and his eyes were on fire. Olivia nodded her head and stood up from the table as well. “Careful Liv.” Andie warned. The nod that came back was tense and she worried that this could lead up to Bill and Olivia breaking up. The last thing that her step daughter needed was to have her heartbroken. No one should ever have to deal with that.   
**

Olivia shut her bedroom door tightly and leaned against it. “Why?” Was the only word that came from him. He understood his why and his need but Olivia’s was boggling his mind. Why would any woman want to put herself through this. 

“Because Bill, this is the only way I am going to be able to go to school for nursing. And that’s the one other thing I want most in this world.”

They both knew the number one thing was their relationship. 

“Why is it okay for you to tear up the paperwork and throw it away to join up but it's not okay for me to do it for my career? And for my piece of mind?” Her voice was soft, almost like it was when they first met and it startled him. 

Before she had grown and blossomed into the girl he fell in love with. 

A girl she hadn’t been in 5 years. 

“I just worry baby.’ He started, “Not about you doing the nursin’ stuff, I know you have a handle on that. It's the other stuff.” 

The stuff that he knew he could handle, the bullets, the killing. The blood and gore. 

“I don’t think they are going to send me into battles. That's what the docs are going to be for. I am going to be doing the same thing I have been doing at the hospital. And they want us to be there for emotional support and give comfort. Remind them of home.” She returned as she pushed herself away from the door and went and sat down next to him on her bed. “I don’t think I will even see outside of a hospital.’ He was quiet as he lit a cigarette from the pack that was sitting on her bedside table, he wanted to say more and yell but Bobby was right, there was no need for either one of them to be angry or upset when they finally did end up leaving. 

“I was thinking.” He finally muttered after a few minutes passing her the smoke. Raising an eyebrow, she turned to look at him, if Bill had any thoughts or ideas, he usually kept them to himself. And a majority of the time, those usually ended up with him getting into a fight and Olivia trying to explain that there was no harm meant. Instead of answering he reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a small box. 

“Bill, this isn’t what I think it is, is it?” Olivia commented after blowing the smoke she had in her lungs out. She had always known that it was coming, and she knew she never wanted the grand proposal that her mother had. 

She wasn’t that kind of girl. 

“Open it and find out.” Bill smirked. She went to open it then paused to look at him. “Does my dad know about this?’ “Of course he does. What do you take me for?” She swallowed her comment that was wanting to come out. He narrowed his eyes at her before he pinched her thigh playfully. 

“So what do ya say?” Olivia laughed almost gleefully as she threw her arms around his neck, “You know the answer has always been yes.”


	4. You are Doing What?

3\. You Are Doing What? 

First of week of May 1942 

5 days before going to camp 

“No go Liv. No go.” Michael said as he pulled himself up onto his older sister’s bed and took several of the pieces of clothing that she had just placed in the bag out and flung them across the room. Olivia took a deep breath and went around the bed and picked up the clothes, “Michael, I have to go. Just like Jamie and Bobby.” 

“And Bill.” 

The youngest Stewart child had realized that his older siblings and a majority of their friends were leaving and he wasn’t sure on how to handle it. 

“Exactly.” 

“I go.” 

“You can’t baby.” She sighed as she sat down on the bed letting him crawl onto her lap. 

“Why not?” 

“Because you need to stay here with Mama and Papa, so they aren’t lonely.” 

“She is right.” Jamie said from the doorway a bundle of stationery in his hands, “You get to be the big kid in the house now.” 

Michael turned to look at his older brother, surprise on his little features. He didn’t know what all came with being a big kid, but he knew that Olivia, James and Bobby didn’t have a set bedtime, and they got to sit at the big kid table when they went to their grandparents' house. 

“Really?’ 

“Yes, you know how long I waited to become a big kid and sit at the table with our brothers?’ Olivia asked as she smoothed her hand over his messy blonde hair. He glanced from Jamie to her and back. “We were all 15 when we were considered big kids.” 

“Old.’ He commented with a firm nod of his head causing the two siblings to laugh. 

‘Yes, we are old.’ Jamie said through his laughter as he stepped into the room to place the stationary down on the sack that Olivia was packing. He glanced out of the window and muttered a curse word. 

“What?” Olivia asked as she stood up quickly, balancing Michael in her arms. “Our fucking mother is here.” He hissed causing her to move to his side. 

She stood on her tip toes and looked out the window as well. Sure, enough their mother Katherine and her new husband Nathan had just pulled up in front of the house. 

“Son of a.” 

“Bad word Livvy.” Michael scowled reaching his hand up and covering Olivia’s mouth up. “Why is she here?” Olivia asked, she hadn’t been back to Charleston since she was 16, a personal decision that she had made after she had gotten into a huge fight with Katherine about not only the decisions, she had been making in her life to that point but her budding relationship with Bill. 

A relationship that Katherine hated, she didn’t think Bill was good enough for her only daughter. She wanted Olivia to be like her and in ways she was with the way she was the stubborn perfectionist and the way she carried herself in public. But everything else was heavily influenced by her older siblings and her father. That was a side of her that Katherine didn’t like and tried in vain to change. And it never worked. 

Her daughter stayed stubbornly the same. 

“You can go downstairs Jamie, but I am going to stay up here and finish packing. Bill is going to be here soon to pick me up.” Olivia said as she sat Michael onto his feet. They were trying to spend as much time together before they were both shipped off to bootcamp. “Liv, she is your mother too.” James started watching his sister. “I don’t give a damn if she’s the goddamn Queen of England. I am not going downstairs and make nice to her. When she isn’t nice to me.’ 

“Kids! Come down here please.” Their father’s tense voice called from the stairs, “Your mother and stepfather are here.” 

“Come on.” Bobby said as he stopped by the door, “Be thankful Liv, that you and Bill are leaving soon.” “Well, if you had a girlfriend Robert, you could leave too.” She teased quickly before growing serious, her heart racing in her chest and pounding in her ears. “Hey, we got your back alright Liv? She won’t be able to do anything.’ James assured as he stepped out of the room to go down the stairs.’ 

** 

Olivia was silent as she followed the twins down to the living room, this was the last thing that she really wanted to do. She had planned on sending her mother and stepfather a letter from Camp Meade informing them that she was in the nursing corps and her engagement to Bill. It would stop her mother from freaking out and she wouldn’t have to deal with fall out. 

But now she had to face her fears and tell them face to face. 

** 

“Hello Olivia.” Katherine McHale said, turning to her daughter who was standing quietly in the doorway, her hands clasped in front of her and eyes down casted like normal. “Mother.” She returned softly shifting her weight from foot to foot. “What took you so long?” “I was packing.” Nathan who had been sitting quietly on the couch looked up, “you were packing for what?” Olivia raised her eyes and looked first at her father then at her brothers and then at Bill who had just stepped into the house quietly. “I am going to Camp Meade for a nursing training.” 

“Pardon me?” Katherine asked standing up from the armchair. “I got offered a position in the nursing corps and I took it.” “Why on earth would you do that?” The shock that Olivia had from seeing her mother and stepfather wore off and it was replaced by anger. 

“Because it’s the only way I can become a nurse.” She answered as Bill came to her side, his hand catching hers to give her silent strength. Katherine span first to her ex-husband and his wife then to her sons who were all silent and then finally to Olivia and Bill. 

“You can’t join the army. A woman’s place is at home not fighting wars.” 

Much to the Stewart family’s surprise Olivia started laughing. “Who do you think handles everything while the men are away? This is a new generation Katherine. Girls aren't just going to be okay with just sitting at home.” “You aren’t going.’ The former Mrs. Stewart shouted throwing her hands in the air. “I am. I am 18 years old. I really don’t need your permission to do anything.’ Bill squeezed her hand. “You stop being my mother the day you and dad got divorced and you let me come here.” Katherine glared at Bill, “And you are okay with her doing this?” 

“Yeah.” He lied, they had gotten into a huge fight about her going after he found out that Bobby had started teaching her how to use a rifle and handgun. He knew it was more for the peace of mind for the twins, but it scared him to death. It was just adding another element of danger for Olivia and that was the last thing he wanted. “What is that?” Katherine demanded seeing the small shining diamond on Olivia’s left hand. 

Releasing a shaky sigh, Olivia glanced at Bill who smirked then back to her mother, “Bill asked me to marry him and I said yes.” Nathan sat back on the couch and ran his hand over his eyes, he knew his wife was getting close to blowing up, for a while now Olivia and her relationship with Bill had been a touchy subject. 

She didn’t like Bill for her, said he was too rough to be with someone like Olivia. But he as well as the three Stewart boys that stayed behind saw it. He brought her out of her shell and let her be the Olivia that they all knew she was deep down inside. And he loved her, a love that was running deep from what Nathan had seen and he could only hope his daughter Marla would find the same happiness and love.’’ 

“No absolutely not.” Katherine screamed as she moved towards the couple causing Bill to drop her hand and move to stand in front of her. “You aren’t marrying him. You are coming back to Charleston with me.” 

“Like hell.” Olivia spat grasping at Bill’s forearm, to keep herself steady and to keep him from flying off the handle at her. 

“I am not going anywhere. I am staying here, and I am going to Meade in a week. And there is nothing you can do to stop it.” 

“Come on Liv, we are going to be late.” Bill spoke, “Ma isn’t going to be happy.” Olivia nodded her head in agreement thankful that they had agreed to go to his parents' house for dinner before going to the movies. 

“Be careful Liv, we will see you in the morning.” James Sr, said he had come to peace with the fact that his older kids would be out all night, spending time with their friends and with each other. “Always am safe. And I will make sure the boys don’t get arrested.” 

“That was once Olivia.” Bobby commented holding one finger up causing her to giggle and shrug her shoulders. “How are you okay with this?” Katherine demanded again looking at her ex-husband. “They are all adults, as long as nothing bad happens, I can’t really stop them.” He answered as his wife ushered the kids out of the living room telling them quickly to leave the house, and that they would try and handle Katherine and Nathan. 

** 

“You good Liv?” James asked as they went down the cement steps. “Yes. I am okay.” She returned, “Nothing is going not even our fucking mother is going to stop me from doing this.” There was a resolve to her voice that they hadn’t heard before and it scared them. She was already changing, and they weren’t so sure that they were ready for this new Olivia.


	5. Camp Meade

Part 5: Camp Meade

4 Weeks Later  
Camp Meade, Maryland.

“What’s with the look?” May asked her best friend as she sat down across from her at breakfast 4 weeks later. They had been at Camp Meade training and Olivia as had been expected from her was the shining student in most of their classes. It annoyed and made May proud all in the same instant.

“Amber.” Olivia returned nodding her head towards the third table over from them where B Company was sitting. Amber was a dark hair girl from Detroit that constantly tried to pick fights with Olivia and try to outdo her and failed miserably each time. Amber wanted to be in the position that Olivia was in but she didn’t have the same drive and dedication that the blonde did. 

“There is nothing that she can do to take your spot away from you.” Daisy Goodwin commented as she sat down next to Olivia. 

“It’s not that, I know I earned my spot here, she just reminds me of my mother.” The southern girl commented as she picked up her coffee mug and took a sip off of it, “like she is constantly waiting for me to mess up and for the chance to go running to Forbes.” “You aren’t going to like what I heard.” Natalie Franks, the fourth member of their group commented as she sat down next to May. Olivia felt an unfamiliar icy feeling come over her as she clutched at her coffee mug tightly. 

“I guess when we were in town on pass. She came into our barracks and went through your belongings and read the letters from Bill out loud to a couple of the other girls in her group.” “Are you serious Nat?’ May asked as Daisy grasped a hold of Olivia’s forearm, the slightly older girl could feel the trembling and the anger coming from her. “Yes. She was mocking you both. Lily said she even went through your journal.” 

“My journal?” Olivia’s coffee cup hit the table with a thud cracking it slightly, a few days before she left, she received a package from Katherine’s grandfather Franklin and included in it one of his unfinished journals from the Civil War and Olivia had put it in her bag to add her own experiences to it. “She didn’t read anything that your grandfather wrote, said she couldn’t read the handwriting.” Natalie went on, she knew that Olivia was getting close to her breaking point, all the girls did, ‘yours she could.’ 

“Livvy.’ May warned, she could see the sparks of anger in her blue eyes. 

“Don’t worry May, I am not going to lose it.” She assured her, she wanted too, she wanted to yell at Amber for going through her belongings, for reading the letters from Bill and from her family. There was a part of her that wanted to lose her cool and yell and scream, but that wasn’t her, she was too tender hearted, too used to having Bill or her brothers standing up for her. “Everything will be just fine.”   
**  
“Excuse me Corporal Stewart?” Elizabeth Forbes’s runner Angelica asked the girls who were just coming out of the classroom where they had been studying for the last several hours. 

“Colonel Forbes would like to see you in her office.” “What did you do Stewart?” Amber asked as she shoved herself between Olivia and May. 

“Maybe the question is Scott. What have you done?” Olivia returned, “Oh wait that’s right! You haven’t done a damn thing. Expect to sit on your ass.” Amber turned on her heel and looked at Olivia who smirked, “You know I am right darlin’, the sooner you realize that the better off you will be.” 

“Ma’am.’ Angelica repeated stepping between the two girls, “Please.” “I will meet up with you later.” Her comment was directed at May and Daisy who both nodded before Olivia went down the stairs slamming her own shoulder against Amber’s. The burnette turned on her heel to glare at the retreating back of the two other women. 

“You know it's not worth it right?” Natalie asked as the others started making their way back to the barracks. “It doesn’t matter Natalie, she has what I want and I am going to do everything in my power to get it.” She returned before she went down the path to her own barracks.  
**  
“Colonel you wanted to see me?” Olivia asked as she stepped into the small cramped office, her covering in her hands. “Yes, yes come on in Olivia.” The older woman motioned for her to come in the rest of the way. Once she was fully in the room, Angelica pulled the door shut and Olivia’s heart raced against her ribcage. “First,” Forbes said as she stood up from her chair, “I am promoting you to Sargent.” 

“Pardon?” Olivia questioned, unsure that she heard her right, ‘Me?” 

“Yes Sargent, you are doing a good job, and you have gotten the other girls to listen to you. And that's what we look for in our leaders.” Elizabeth said as she handed her the chevrons, “And that brings me to the next thing. We are going to be sending you and several of the other girls to another training camp.” 

“For what? Don’t they have nurses there already?” 

“They do but they want nurses to go with the troops to combat zones.” 

Olivia started to sink into the chair that was in front of her desk. 

“They want our nurses to be there and be a comfort for the men. We are going to be sending you, May, Daisy, Natalie, Amber, Tabitha, Lily and Pearl to Camp Toccoa to train with the paratroopers.’ 

‘You mean the men that agreed to jump out of a perfectly good airplane?” She asked as she twisted her engagement ring around her finger. “That would be them.” “And I take it we would be jumping with them?” Colonel Forbes nodded her head, her dark eyes studying her. “And we would be following the men to the combat areas with the medics?” Seeing the nod, Olivia looked down at her hands, “I can’t say no can I?’ “I wouldn’t recommend it.” Twisting her ring around her finger one more time, Olivia nodded her head, “Okay, what do I need to do?”  
***  
“Liv? Is everything okay?” Natalie asked when the blonde came into the barracks, her face still ashen. “Yes.’ She said after clearing her throat, “I got bumped up to Sargent.” “I knew it!” Daisy exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air.

‘And they are moving some of us to another camp.” “What?!” “It’s me, May, Daisy, Natalie, Amber, Tabitha, Lily and Pearl.” “Did they say why?” “From what I am understanding we are going to be doing what we are being trained to do. But they are going to add to it.” 

“What do they want us to carry guns or something?” Daisy asked. “I hope not. Last time Olivia got her hands on a weapon and learned to shoot it, she and Bill fought.’ May supplied.

Causing Olivia to toss an empty Hershey's bar wrapper at her. “In my defense May, it was Bobby and James’ idea. They didn’t want me not knowing how to defend myself.” Olivia defended, “Besides what he didn’t know was that the pistol belonged to my great grandmother.” 

“Nana Olivia?” May asked, she had met most of Olivia’s family and knew why Olivia idolized her parental great grandmother and maternal great grandfather. 

“Yes, the same one that she shot that god damn rebel with. And he doesn’t know that it's in my possession.” Natalie, Daisy and Lily who had just joined them looked surprised. 

“You don’t have it on you do you?’ 

Lifting her shoulders, Olivia smirked. 

She originally hadn’t put it in her duffel but Bobby who had come into her room at the last minute put it in there. ‘Oh my god Olivia.” Lily said from her perch, “they can take it away from you.” 

“If they find out about it. And they aren’t going to find out about it right?” she questioned, a veiled threat shining through, a habit that both Olivia and May had learned from their years of friendship with Bill. “Not from me. I just wish my brother cared enough to teach me.” Lily said. 

“I will teach you. Hell if you want to come home with me, my step brother Tony is still at home and he was taught by his dad and if he didn’t get messed up by the group of drunks on his way from the factory, he would have been at a boot camp. But I think having him and Michael home is helping Andie from not completely losing it.” 

The barrack’s door opened and Vanessa, the woman in charge of their mail, came in followed by Amber and Tabitha, both of whom looked furious. “

A pack of smokes that they just found out that we are going to another camp.” May muttered. 

“2 says Amber is pissed about Olivia’s promotion.” Daisy added as she dropped down onto Olivia’s bed. 

“3 says she is pissed about all of it and she is going to cause a fight with me.’ Olivia added as Vanessa handed her a stack of letters. 

“Thank you.”

Vanessa nodded her head and went down the rest of the line. “Anything from Bill?’ May asked but before Olivia could answer Amber came up to her and slapped the letters out of her hands. “Real mature.” 

“Shut up! Shut up!” Amber screamed, cutting off all the comments from the trio. “Did you know we are going to another camp? Another camp, I mean my god, we should know enough to get our positions in Pearl or whenever.” 

Olivia had forgotten all about her anger and excitement and slipped into the peacekeeper. 

“I knew. But Colonel Forbes told me that they want the medics to have nurses with them in combat areas. They want us to be their sounding boards, their friends. Something to remind them of home.” She had her hands held up, “I don’t know about you Amber, but I have older brothers and a fiance serving and I pray that they have someone like us to get them through. That’s why we were chosen to do this because we are good at what we do. And you should be thrilled that they trust enough to do this.” 

For the first time in the month that they had known each other Amber was silent. She did have a brother and an ex boyfriend serving and deep down she knew that she would want them to have something as close as possible to remind them of home. 

“That is what we are being chosen to do. There’s one of two ways this can go. One is you can bitch and moan and be a baby about everything like you have been for the last month. Or the other way is you can keep being a bitch and making our lives miserable and in turn make the men’s lives miserable. They are already going to be fighting for their lives, they don’t need that.’ 

“Who knew she had that in her.’ Daisy muttered to May who grinned. ‘She always has, we are both used to her brothers and Bill defending us. She just needs a chance to shine and I think this. This is going to be it.” 

“I guess you are right.” Amber caved, “But don’t expect me to listen to you the whole time Sargent.” “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”


	6. Hurtful Words

Part 4: Hateful Words

“Your mother is here?” May asked as she slid into the booth next to Olivia who was sitting quietly turning her glass full of soda around in a circle. “James told ya?” May nodded her head as she reached her hand out and grasped Olivia’s wrist to make her stop. “Are you okay?” “Define okay? She wants me to break up with Bill and she wants me to go home with her to Charleston.” “Like hell.” Angela, one of their friends said as she sat across from the two girls. “The only way you will ever leave Bill is when you are dead.” 

Everyone in their group of friends knew that Bill and Olivia belonged together, it was like they were missing parts of a puzzle. 

They just fit together perfectly. 

“I know that, and you know that but Katherine doesn’t. She doesn’t see anything past her nose.” 

“Why is she even here? I thought she lived in Charleston?” 

Olivia shrugged her shoulders, “My guess is that Nicholas or Daniel told her that the twins were joining the military and she came down to see them.” “Does it bother you that she doesn’t want to see you?” Olivia shook her head no, her eyes finding Bill who was shooting darts, “I have Andie, she is more of a mother then Katherine will ever be. And Bill’s mom is mothering me for the most part too. I don’t need her.” 

“You good with leaving him?” the redhead asked following her gaze.

“No, but it will be good to be away, find out who I am when I am not just Bill’s girl or the twins’ sister or my father’s daughter. I can just be Olivia.” “Do you even know how to do that?’ 

“No. but I think I can learn too.”   
**  
Nathan McHale sighed as he pulled open the door to the small club that the teeangers of South Philly frequented, he knew his step kids would be there along with their friends and his wife made him come over to try and talk Olivia into leaving and going back to Charleston but she wouldn’t, he knew that, she was all James and his family. 

But Katherine didn’t, she only saw what she wanted to see, and what she had seen as the same little girl that left Charleston 6 years ago. The one that wanted to please her mom more than anything. But being in Philly and with her father and older brothers had changed her. And she had in turn become the Olivia that they knew. “Nathan.” Olivia’s voice came startling him out of his thoughts, she had stepped out of the diner, her lighter frozen in her hand, “What’s wrong?”

“Your mother wants me to talk to you.’ 

“I am not changing my mind about the army or marrying Bill.’ She commented firmly before he could say that she was right. “Being a nurse is the only thing I ever have wanted to do.” There was a flick of a lighter and the cigarette end glowed, “Even when I was little, I was always patching up the twins or Lee.’ “I remember. When you were about 10, Franklin gave you his old doctor bag. You carried that thing everywhere.” 

“I did up until we moved here. It’s in my room now, it still has supplies in it. This is my one chance to do it. And I could be really good at it. I am not scared that I could be going to war zones. I am more scared for these boys.” She glanced back at the diner. “What horrors are they going to see? How many are going to make it home.” Nathan was silent as he watched his step daughter, he had never heard her speak so passionately about something. Then again he only knew the parts of her. “Is it so wrong for me to want to help?” 

“No, I don’t think it is. But your mother wants everything her way and you picking this path isn’t that way.” He finally said after a few minutes, “But I understand why you want to do it. And I will do anything that I can help her understand that this is your decision. And she is just going to have to live with it.’ 

A bright smile formed on her face as she dropped her finished cigarette onto the ground to put it out. “Thank you Nathan.” He waved away her thanks as Bill stepped out of the diner looking for her. 

“Everything good here?” “Yeah everything is good here.” Olivia returned, “Nathan was just leaving, he wanted to make sure the twins were behavin’ themselves.” Bill nodded his head as she walked the few short steps to his side. He knew that she was lying but he wasn’t going to speak up and cause another fight.   
**  
“What do you mean, she is still going?” Katherine shouted not caring that the youngest Stewart child was asleep and a majority of their neighbors were asleep too. “Just that Katherine.” Nathan said holding his hands up trying to appease his wife. James and Andie were standing in the living room doorway quietly. The best way to try and handle Katherine at this point. “She is an adult, and a way for her to pay for school? I don’t see why it’s such a big deal. Didn’t you say you wanted to use the money that Franklin left for the girls to put towards Marla’s coming out instead?”

Katherine nodded her head, it would work out, Olivia would get her college education and she wouldn’t have to pay for it. And Marla, would get the coming out she deserved. 

Andie scoffed quietly and turned to climb the stairs, she couldn’t believe that her husband’s ex wife could be so uncaring towards Olivia. “What is your problem?” Katherine asked, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at Andie’s back. 

“You are. You have been out of Olivia’s life for 3 years now and just because she is making a decision that is for her future, you want to step in and play mother now?” Andie questioned as she spun her heel and looked at the woman. “I am not going to allow you to do that. Her father and I made the decision to support her and you should get in line and support it too.” “I shouldn’t have to do anything, I can’t believe you are supporting her ruining her life.” 

Andie didn’t answer at first, she shared a glance with her husband who was silent. She had heard about all the reasons why they were not suited for each other and why he had been so desperate to get Olivia and the twins out of Charleston. And she could still remember how beaten down Olivia was when they first moved here. If she had the choice, Olivia would never have to see Katherine again. The pent up sadness, fear and anger she had built up in her came flooding out. 

Words, hurtful, angry words about Katherine and her method of raising the kids and how badly she had messed up Olivia just tumbled out of her mouth and Katherine surprised by it all took several steps forward and slapped Andie across the face.

“What the hell is going on?” Olivia’s voice asked as she rushed into the room and put herself between her mother and step mother. Her fiance, older brothers and best friend behind her. “Olivia Frances get out of my way now.” Katherine ordered. “Not until you tell me what happened and why you slapped Andie.” Ignoring her daughter’s statement Katherine went to grasp her shoulders to move out of the way but she was pushed backwards by her. “Do not put your hands on me.” Olivia hissed as Katherine stumbled backwards, surprise on her features. She had never reacted like that to her before. “Why did you slap her?” “She told me I was a horrible mother. And that I should be supporting your decision.” 

“She is right.” It wasn’t Olivia who spoke but James Junior, the usual quiet wallflower, “You are a horrible mother and a horrible person. You cheated on Dad with Nathan the whole time you were married and you treated Olivia like she was a burden like you would have rather not had her.” 

“I would have rather not had her.” Katherine said finally speaking the words that she had wanted too for 18 years. 

“Get out of my house right now.” James Senior ordered coming down the steps, his body tense with anger, he was ready to come undone. It was one thing to try and ruin Olivia’s dream but it was another to tell her that she would rather have not had her. Their family had been made complete when Olivia joined them.

“What?’ “You heard me. Leave now.” He could hear May and Bill going behind him to Olivia who had gone pale and started sinking to the ground. “Robert and James are still my sons, you can’t make me leave them.’ “Actually yes he can.” Robert said, “And I speak for my brother as well as myself, we don’t want anything to do with you.” “Katherine, lets go now.” Nathan said, his own shock and disappointment clear in his voice. He had never expected her to go this far.   
Katherine gave a jerk of her head before looking over her ex husband’s shoulder in time to see Olivia going up the stairs with Bill and May. “This isn’t over Olivia. It’s far from over.”


	7. Chapter 7

01.

2 weeks later  
The night before leaving Camp Meade 

“Come on Liv! It's one of our last nights here. You need to come out with us.” Tabitha commented as she stepped out of the bathroom dressed for their last outing in Maryland. “You are too damn young to be acting like you are a widow already.” Lily added, she, Tabitha and Amber had been moved into the barracks with Olivia, May, Daisy and Natalie just a few nights prior. 

And it had become their goal to get Olivia to come out on the last pass they had. She had stayed back the previous two claiming she needed to write letters home. May informed them that she missed her brothers, and that she hadn’t been without James or Bobby since she was a baby and of course she missed Bill. 

“Take that back.” Olivia commented standing up from her bed, a wild panic look in her blue eyes, “Bill isn’t going to die. He hasn’t even left the states yet.” 

“I am sorry Liv.” The brunette commented looking at May who had followed her best friend to her feet ready to pull her friend back.

“We are just thinking that you are sitting missing Bill and your brothers that you are forgetting that you are also 18 years and a gorgeous young woman.” Tabitha added as she opened up the foot locker that was at the end of Olivia’s bed and started digging through the dresses that Andie and her sister Miranda sent to her and the girls. 

“And besides you will have fun. We will get you drunk.’ Daisy grinned. “Oh no,no.” May commented moving her hands back and forth in a negative motion, ‘this girl can’t hold her liquor.” 

“No I can’t.’ Olivia agreed as she stood up to take one of the dresses that Tabitha was holding out to her, “Bill and Bobby lifted some vodka from a local place.’ 

“And it was a bad idea.” May could count on one hand how many times she had seen Olivia get sloppy drunk and the night before they were all set to leave was the sloppiest she had ever been. “At least I didn’t throw up on anybody.” Olivia shrugged as she stepped into the bathroom to change her clothes. 

“No you just threw up in your mother’s suitcase.” May called. 

“Wait? What?’ 

“A story for another day. Let’s just say Olivia and her mother are like oil and water. They don’t mix very well at all. Ask her on the bus ride to Toccoa, she will tell you. It's one of her favorite things.’ 

“To bitch about my mother, and piss her off.” Olivia said coming out of the bathroom barefooted, “Right before we left, she caught me and Bill outside smoking and she flipped. Threatened to disown me even more. There is nothing that woman couldn’t say or do that will hurt me anymore than what she already has’ “And that part of the story is for when she is really drunk or she has Bill with her.” May said. “Is she really that bad?’ Amber asked looking at the girl she considered her worst enemy. 

“Mhmm.” Olivia hummed as she fastened the strap across the top of her foot, “right before we left, she told me she wished I was never born.’ Amber bit her tongue to fight back the comments, from what she saw she could see why her mother didn’t want her. But she knew that the other girls, mostly Tabitha and Lily, wanted her to go out and her picking a fight would put an end to it.   
No she would just bide her time then go after her when she least expected it.   
***

“Sargent Stewart!” Vanessa called seeing the girls leaving the barracks, “You have some letters!” Olivia paused and looked over her shoulder at her, “Just put them on my bunk I will get to them when we get back. Thanks!’ “Aren’t you just miss popular?’ Amber asked from behind her. “No, not popular, just come from a big family.” 

“And marrying into a big one.” May added. “Yeah well if James ever smartens up asks you. Then you will be a part of one too.” Olivia grinned, May had started dating her brother not long after she and Bill got together. And she had hoped deep down that James would have acted on asking May before they left. 

But he never did. And Olivia never questioned it, with James she never did. He always knew what he was doing. It was always Bobby she worried about, he was like Bill, he was reckless, he threw caution into the wind too often. At least with Bill, he settled a little when Olivia was with him. But Bobby, she feared he never was going to mellow out.

“Earth to Olivia.” Tabitha called snapping her fingers next to Olivia’s ear. “Sorry.” She said shaking her head quickly, she slipped a smile on her face and let Tabitha link her other arm with hers. “Just thinking is all.” May squeezed her elbow as if she knew what she was thinking about. Amber, who was several steps behind them rolled her eyes and glanced at Lily who shook her head once.

“Not worth it, Am, leave it alone. Just leave it alone. We are going to another camp with her, she is our Sargent. Like it or not we are going to be stuck with her.” 

By this time they had reached the small bar that they visited every time they were on pass and Amber for the time being would drop it and enjoy the last few hours of freedom they had before they had to leave. 

Again.   
**  
“I don’t think I have ever heard you laugh that much Liv.” Pearl commented once they were back in their barracks. “ I haven’t had that much fun since before the attack happened.” Olivia returned as she pulled the bobby pins from her hair. 

“And last time you won that much money you and Bill cheated.” May added, causing her best friend to shake her head and laugh, “I don’t cheat darlin’. We are just that good.” 

Bill indeed did teach her to cheat after she complained it wasn’t fair that as a female that she and May weren’t able to play cards or dice with them. “Mhm.’ May hummed, “Your nose is growing Pinocchio.” 

The whole room for the first time since they had been together seemed light and airy and they were all enjoying it. Like they were just college girlfriends that were out for the night on the town and not a group of women who were training to be nurses and preparing to go into combat zones to save lives of men that they barely knew.


	8. Toccoa Part 1

02\. Toccoa part 1

The next morning  
“Did you get anything from James?” May asked as she lowered herself into the bus seat next to her best friend. “Not yet. But I did get a letter from Lee and Nicholas ,they are both together.” Olivia returned as she pulled the letter out of the envelope and unfolded it before laughing at the picture that was included in it. May leaned over and smiled.

Lee, who was the more uptight of her older brothers, had changed his uniform shirt for a Hawaiian print shirt and looked more relaxed than he had. “I am glad they are together.” Olivia said after her laughter settled. 

“Do you wish we were going there?” Daisy asked as she leaned forward to look at the picture. “No, because they would be more worried about me than themselves or their fellow soldiers. To them I am always going to be their baby sister who needs their protection.” Olivia answered, handing the picture over to her. 

“But you don’t need it. From what we have seen.’ Tabitha started from her spot next to Daisy, “is that you can do just about anything you put your mind too. That's why you are our Sargent.” 

“It's not the fact that I can do anything I put my mind too Tabby, it's the fact that I am a female. My dad told them that it was their job to protect me until the day that I got married. And the twins especially have taken that responsibility to heart.”

She shook her head quickly and flipped through the other envelopes. 

Seeing Bill’s untidy scrawl, she smiled and opened it. “Let me guess. Bill?” Tabitha asked. “Yes.” There was a soft smile on her face and a light in her eyes that they hadn’t seen before. Usually she was guarded and hid behind the sweet southern belle act. 

“Son of a bitch!” She exclaimed sitting up straight in her seat, “Bill is going to be at Toccoa!” 

May who had been skimming the letter from Lee and Nick leaned over and followed untidy scrawl. “Oh he is gonna be pissed Liv.’ She muttered. “I know, the whole reason why he and my family were okay with this was because I wouldn’t be going anywhere near a combat zone and I am pretty sure he is going into a combat zone.’ 

“Look at like this Sarge,” Pearl commented, “At least you know where each other will be.” 

“Not helping P.” May muttered, sure once everything will settle down, they would know it was for the best. But now until then it wouldn’t offer up any comfort. Bill had an infamous temper that he usually directed towards other people but every once in a while he and Olivia would get into it and go for several days without talking to each other. And she was worried that a fight like this could blow up their whole relationship. 

“Don’t worry Liv, we got you.” Daisy commented reaching forward and squeezing her shoulder. Olivia reached her hand up and squeezed her hand in return before going back to the letter.   
**  
Amber who had been sitting near the back of the bus grinned, this was too good to be true, they were going to be at the same camp as Olivia’s finance, this was true good to be true. This would be the way she could mess with Olivia and get away with it. She wouldn’t want her relationship to be well known especially since three of the girls had been sent home after getting married to their soldier boyfriends or gotten pregnant. This was the best way for Amber to get what she wants and to ruin Olivia’s life.   
***  
The bus pulled to a stop in front of the headquarters building and there were several soldiers waiting for them. Some didn’t look happy that they were getting new members of their companies and the others looked amused. Olivia already knew deep down that they were going to have to fight to earn their place there. It wasn’t going to be like Camp Meade where they were the hot shots, the old pros as Colonel Forbes put it, they were going to be newbies just like the men. They had to start over fresh and be surrounded by men who probably didn’t want them around.

“Listen up ladies.” Olivia said as she stood up and looked at the group of girls who all looked at her, including Amber. “We are going to fight to earn our spot here, we are women coming into their world, a world where we aren’t supposed to be. We are going to have to stick together and do the best we can.” 

“What if they separate us Liv?” Lily asked, having returned her attention back to Olivia after looking out of the window at the male soldiers who were waiting for them. “Then stick to whoever they put you with. That is your buddy, your safe haven. I am sure they aren’t going to put us in the barracks with the men, we will be together at night. Everything will be okay Li, we are going to make it through this.” 

Lily nodded her head and started chewing on the inside of her cheek, she didn’t think Olivia really believed what she said, but she was doing her job as their sergeant and telling what they needed to hear, she wasn’t ready to do this. She hadn’t been ready when she joined Meade and she wasn’t ready now. 

“Come on Lily.’ Olivia’s soft voice said from where she was standing in front of her seat, “We are getting off the bus.’ Lily glanced up and saw that they were the only two left on the bus. She nodded her head and followed her off of the bus. She inhaled sharply when her eyes met those of a kind looking redhead man and she took a step behind Olivia. 

“Sergeant Stewart?” The man questioned looking at the group of women, he had to admit, he wasn’t happy with Sink wanting to bring women into their training, they had been there for two weeks already and the training they were going through, he didn’t think they could handle. “Yes sir.” The petite blonde that just got off the bus returned, her blue eyes on him, her shoulders tensed like she was ready for him to start barking orders at them. 

“I am Lieutenant Winters. You are going to be in my company.” 

“Are we all splitting up sir?” She asked as the girl behind her tried to shrink down even lower. 

‘Yes, you, Williams, Johnson and Scott are in Easy with me. The rest of them will be split between D and F Company. Lieutenant Speirs and Lieutenant McHale will take care of the rest.” Olivia’s head snapped in the direction of the other Lieutenants and a smile broke out on her face seeing her step brother Thomas.

“You two know each other?” 

“A bit Dick.” Thomas spoke up before Olivia could, ‘My father married her mother when we were both younger.” Winters nodded his head before looking back at Olivia. “It’s a long story sir. This won’t affect anything I can do.” She said. “It’s not him, you have to worry about Liv.” Thomas said, “It’s the CO. Sobel.” Glancing at her step brother and then at the XO and back, “He that bad?” 

“You’ll see for yourself Liv, I wish you luck.” Thomas said before motioning for Pearl and Natalie to follow him while Spiers called for Daisy and May to follow him. 

“Isn’t this mismatched sir?” Olivia asked as she and the other three followed Winters, “There’s four of us in Easy and 2 in the other companies.” “We have another group full of nurses coming from California so things will even out.” “Are we going to be in the same barracks sir?” Tabitha asked as she came up to Olivia’s other side. 

Her finger grasping onto the material of her uniform sleeve. 

She and Lily both were looking at Olivia for comfort and to lead them into this hell they stepped into. 

Winters nodded his head before glancing over his shoulder at the group, they were going to be in for it worse then most of the men were and he worried that they were going to have the courage to do this. That he would have to send them home one by one. 

But then a booming 

“Olivia!” 

Came from within the ranks of his men and Bill Guarnere stepped out of the group, his eyes on the newcomers. Maybe he wouldn’t have to worry too much about at least one of them. 

Olivia, who had been standing behind him with the three girls, brushed by him with a soft excuse me before she went into the waiting arms of the man that was earning his reputation as being wild. 

“They know each other from back home sir.” Tabitha informed, “I think she said they grew up three doors down from each other.’ 

Amber stepped around them to get a better look at the couple. 

As far as she could tell, Bill was a handsome man and he surely deserves someone better than Olivia Stewart to be at his side. Already a plan was starting to form in her head. “Whatever you are thinking about doing.” Lily commented, “Don’t. We need to stick together and trying to get between Olivia and Bill isn’t going to do anything except to get you either hurt or kicked out of the Army.” 

“Mind your own business Lily. What I am doing is nothing that will ever concern you.”   
***  
“What the hell are you doing here?” Bill asked into his future wife’s ear, he knew holding onto her as long as he was would look shady but he would make some bullshit lie that the men would believe and all would be forgotten.

“The higher ups at Meade were contacted by someone here and they wanted nurses to help the medics out.” She returned highly aware of his friends and hers staring at them. “So May and I got chosen. Along with some others. I didn’t have a choice Bill. They were going to send me here whether we liked it or not. We can fight about it later.” “You got that right.’ He muttered before releasing her from his hold, a part of him was relieved that she was with him and he could keep an eye on her but the other scared him to death. She would be right there with him, she could get hurt or worse killed and he didn’t think he could live with that. 

‘Who’s your friend?” A voice asked from behind Bill. Olivia raised herself up on her toes to look at the man who spoke.

“This is Olivia. She is,” “I am his friend from home.” She cut in before he could answer. If anyone found out about the true nature of their relationship, she could either be sent home or moved to another company. 

She could already see the wheels turning in the heads of Bill’s friends, and knew she was going to have work cut out for her. Not only with learning with what they had to learn but keeping Bill from fighting any man that tried to get with her. Her eyes locked on the man who asked Bill who she was and she studied him, he was a good looking man, with dark hair and dark eyes and a stature about him that was close to Bill’s. 

“Liv, come on!” Tabitha called, shaking her out of the staring contest she was in with the dark haired man who asked who she was., “We are going to the barracks.” “See you fellas later.’ She muttered as she went back to the three girls and Winters. “Sorry sir. That won’t happen again. Just haven’t seen him or anyone from home in awhile.” 

It felt good seeing Bill and knowing he was going to be close by, it offered some sort of comfort.

A comfort she didn’t know she needed until then.


	9. Chapter 9

03\. Toccoa part 2

“Who is that?” Amber asked the next morning, the nurses were gathered along with the rest of Easy Company to be introduced to their CO and XO’s they would be working with. Olivia who had been stationed in front of the 3 tilted her head to the side and squinted to see the name tag. “I don’t know.” She returned quietly over her shoulder, “But best be quiet Ms. Scott.” It had surprised Olivia how quickly she slipped into the leadership role and leading the others, she never thought as herself as a leader before, a follower sure, that was easy to see with how quickly she followed behind her brothers or Bill and Henry. But this was new, and she kind of liked it. 

The man that was walking up and down the platoons, walked awkwardly and heavily and had a large hooked nose that made him look like some sort of bird. And from the covered up giggles from behind her, she knew the girls were coming to the exact conclusion that she had. “Shh.’ She hissed quickly as the man turned and looked at them, pure hatred in his dark beady eyes. 

They first glanced at the three girls standing behind her and then to Olivia who quickly bit the inside of her cheek to stop the comments she had floating in her head from coming out of her mouth. The man’s dark eyes narrowed first then flicked from the chevrons that were sewn onto her sleeve and back to her face. “Sargenet Stewart.” Her blue eyes flicked the name tag quickly and then back to his face, “Luientent Sobel.” She returned, she could feel the men twisting to look at them and the heat of the stares of the girls standing behind her. Waiting for something to happen, for him to bretrate them like he had the men or for her to shrink back and try and hid away, like the girls standing behind her.

Instead she stood tall, proud and unflinching. 

“You four are going to have to work very hard if you want to be able to stay in my unit and become paratroopers.” The raspiness in his voice and the way he was holding himself in front of the girls that sent chills down Olivia’s spine, “I don’t think it will be a problem sir.’ Sobel flicked his eyes over her head to the three other girls then back to Olivia, “We will see about that. Fall out.” Quickly the four girls disappeared down the pathway towards the medical tents.

“I don’t know about this.” Lily muttered, she was still a little shaken with what happened a few minutes ago. She had been raised in a houseful of women and wasn’t sure how to react around any of the men they had been around, a lot of the time she hid herself behind Olivia or Tabitha. And it usually worked out for the best. 

“We will be fine Li.” Olivia returned, trying not only to reassure Lily but herself. She had heard nightmarish stories from her uncles and her father about their commanding officers and knew that she was well as Lily, Amber and Tabitha would have to prove their worth. And they would have to do so over and over again.   
***  
“Sargent Stewart. This is Doc Roe, he will be in Easy with you.’ Doc Peppering said he had already spread out the other nurses and kept Olivia with him while he explained some of the things that she would be doing going forward. Eugene Roe looked up from the diagram of veins that they were set to be studying and nodded his head once at the woman. She returned the nod and chewed on the inside of her cheek nervously. “Don’t worry you will be in good hands with him.” Peppering said before he squeezed her shoulder and walked off towards the front of the room where the chalkboard was at. 

Quietly, Olivia sat on the stool next to him and peaked out of the window where she could see Easy with their equipment running through the open field. ‘You know someone out there?” Gene asked, having followed her gaze. 

Surprised she turned to him and nodded her head, “Yes, one of the boys from back home is in Easy.” “Is he the one you are engaged too?” One of the first things that he had noticed was the small golden diamond ring on her left hand and how she tried to hide it from the higher ups.

“Yes.” She knew it was no use in lying to him, the company would figure it out sooner or later. “Bill Guarnere.” 

Gene’s pencil tore down the page in surprise, from her accent and demeanor, he would have thought it would have been Lipton or Randleman. Someone who was a little softer and not so coarse and loud. 

Using her right hand to cover her smile, Olivia shook her head, “I moved to South Philly with my dad and older brothers when I was almost 13. Until then I was in Charleston. Where are you from?” “Louisiana.” He answered as she tugged the chart away from him and used the eraser of her own pencil to clean up the mess he made on it.

“My great grandma Belle is from New Oreleans.” She muttered, “She swore up and down that she was going to take us back there but it never happened. My parents got divorced before she could take us and my father didn’t want us around my mother any longer then possible.” A pink tinge covered her cheeks, “Sorry, a complete stranger, you don’t need to know my life story.’ Gene waved his hand to wave off her apology. 

“We are going to be spending a lot of time together Olivia, we will get to know each other quite well.” She nodded her head before raising it to give both Tabitha and Lily a reassuring smile.   
Amber, who had been stationed in the front of the room twisted back around in her seat to face forward, this was all going to be a lot harder than she expected.  
**  
“So Olivia, how did you meet this knucklehead?” Joe Toye asked once Olivia sat down between Bill and Frank Preconte, the nurses had just come into the mess hall and Bill quickly hailed the blonde over to their table. “My brothers actually met him first and then introduced us.” She answered, “They thought it would be great fun for me to be friends with him.” 

“And you didn’t exactly complain.” Bill added as his free hand slipped off the table and came to a rest of her thigh, “Kind of got attached.’ 

She shrugged, “So did you.”

“Did you two ever date?” The redheaded man that was sitting three people down asked. 

“None of ya business Malarkey.” Bill answered with glare. 

“Come on, you got to give us something.” 

“Darlin’,” Olivia started, “You wouldn’t be able to handle the truth even if we told you.” “That means yes.” The dirty blonde sitting next to Malarkey commented. “Ya’ll are as nosey as my sisters and the girls.” She muttered as she shook her head. “Who are the dames that are with ya?” Joe asked. 

“The one that is slouched down is Lily.’ She nodded her head at the girl who kept trying to make herself invisible, “the one next to her is Tabitha. And the blonde that is across from them is Amber.” Bill squeezed her thigh, he had gotten several letters from her while she was at Camp Meade complaining about Amber and how she wasn’t cut out to be doing what they were doing, and about how she was ready to go off on her and almost had if May didn’t stop her from doing so. 

“You two don’t get along?” Malarkey questioned after twisting to look at the woman and then at Olivia. “No. One of these days we are going to come to blows and it’s gonna be ugly.” The men exchanged a look, there was no way that this petite woman would be able to take on someone who was bigger than her and live to tell the tale but then again she had spent a lot of time with Wild Bill, who knows exactly what this girl could do.   
**  
Tabitha pulled at the shorts that they had to wear for their PT with the men that afternoon and sighed, “My mother would kill me if she saw me in this.” “Times are changing Tabby,” May said from where she was laying on her bed, “Women are wearing trousers more and more.” “And shaving our legs along with our armpits.” Daisy added. The shaving of the legs had only just become a trend and all the girls at Meade had been sticking to it for the most part. It was liberating. “And my mother would send me to the convent.’ Olivia said as she fastened her hair back in a sloppy braid. ‘Like she did when she found out that you were having sex with Bill?” May questioned with a laugh. 

A scoff escaped her best friend as she tossed her brush at her. “Not my fault, she didn’t know how to knock.” 

“Doesn’t it worry you that you put all your eggs in one basket with Bill?” Amber questioned as she tucked her shirt into her shorts. 

“My relationship with Bill is none of your goddamn business.’ Olivia returned as she put her hands on her hips, her blue eyes blazing, “Keep your nose out of my business and I am warning you stay away from him.’ “Ladies.” The man they were introduced to as Carwood Lipton said from the doorway, “Let’s go.”   
**  
“What happened?” Bill asked lowly seeing the anger in his future wife’s eyes. “Amber is sticking her nose into this.” Olivia returned just as quiet, “She is asking me if I know what I am doing being with you. If Lipton wouldn’t have come in to get us, it would have turned into a fight. And I would have punched her.” 

“Don’t worry about her. Just worry about doing what you are supposed too.’ He muttered, usually he would be all for Olivia losing her temper with other girls but being with Sobel and being in training, it wasn’t worth it. 

It just wasn’t worth it.


	10. Toccoa part 3

Toccoa part 3  
Two weeks later

“I am not doing this again.’ Amber complained as she, Olivia, Tabitha, and Lily changed out of their OD’s into their PT gear, it had been her, Smokey Gordon, and Frank Preconte that invoked Sobel into taking away their weekend pass and sending them up the hill. 

Again.

“Well, it was your fault that he is making us do this again.’ Tabitha returned before Olivia could open her mouth, “If you would have just listened to Liv when she told you were doing something that Sobel didn’t like then maybe we wouldn’t have to be running up the hill with the boys.’ “She’s right.’ Lily agreed, her eyes darting from Tabitha and Olivia to Amber and back. 

“Sobel is even notorious in our companies.” Daisy spoke as her pen moved across the page in front of her, “He is riding you all hard and making you into super soldiers or something.’ 

“If you want to quit Amber, just do it. Your parents will take you back no problem.” May added, she and Daisy had been Olivia’s sounding board especially since she hadn’t really been able to talk to Bill outside of the few seconds they got after they finished PT and they got shuffled off into different places. 

There was stony silence from the girl from Detroit like she had been smacked across the face, she never once spoke of her family back home, or the man she left behind. She didn’t want them to come invested in her life like they had become each other’s lives. 

Daisy had become the third member of a little trio that Olivia and May formed, they did almost everything together. They worked at the same station together when they were doing their medical training and then at night they would stay up gossiping about their home lives, and about their relationship with James and Bill. And every once in a while, Pearl and Tabitha would add to their conversation which would carry on way past light outs. 

“Let’s go ladies.” Lipton said from the doorway, “PT formation.’ Still being quiet Amber stepped out of the barracks and walked quickly away, Tabitha and Lily were a few steps behind her. 

“I swear Lip, one of these days Amber is going to take it too far.” She sighed as she shook her head, “What do I do with her?” 

Lipton was quiet as they set off down the pathway to where the rest of Easy Company was waiting to go up that hill. “I don’t know Liv, it’s not my place to do anything about it. You are in charge of the girls.” He finally said before he glanced down at her. “She won’t listen to me. For whatever reason, she despises me and has since the first day at Meade.” “If it gets any worse. Then talk to Winters.” They both knew that the best thing she could do was to leave Sobel out of it.

It was bad enough, he already despised the four girls that were assigned to his unit, if they came to him with any problems, he would just kick them out and send them all back home.   
“I hope it doesn’t come to that.” She said before slipping into her place next to Doc Roe who turned his attention to her. “Amber.” That’s all that she said before Sobel joined them and started calling out his normal stuff. 

Three miles up, three miles down. High Ho Silver. 

The chants and the panting of the men surrounding her started to annoy Amber more and more. This wasn’t what she signed up for, she couldn’t understand why Olivia, May, Lily, Tabitha, Natalie, and Pearl could be so happy with this. She had signed up thinking she would be going to Pearl Harbor to the base there to help out. 

This wasn’t it. 

This was hell on earth. 

If she was this miserable, then she was going to make sure all the other girls were miserable too and the best way she knew how to do go about it was too out Olivia’s relationship with Bill and hope to god that she didn’t get herself thrown out too.  
***  
“How is medical training going?’ Bill asked once he and Olivia were down the hill, he hoped he would have more than a few minutes with her before they had to separate again. “It’s good. Learning way more than I did at the hospital.” She returned her blue eyes glittering in excitement. ‘But.”   
“But Amber isn’t catching on and she is complaining more than anything. And I am one complaint from slapping the crap out of her.’ 

A smirk pulled at the corners of Bill’s mouth, there had been one other time that she had lost her cool and slapped a girl, and it was all because the girl was flirting with him and she didn’t like that. 

As much as she was his, he was hers. 

And he enjoyed seeing the feisty side of her. 

“It can’t be that bad.” George Luz commented, causing Olivia to spin on her heel and narrowed her eyes at him, ‘Oh it is that bad. The only other person I hate as much as she is my mother.” Now, most of the boys were interested, Olivia was still very much a mystery to them. “Let’s just say I am not the daughter she wanted. I turned out much too wild for her taste. And I blame my older brothers and this one.” She tilted her head towards Bill, “For whatever wild attributes I have.” 

“Well, I don’t think it’s that.’ Amber’s voice came causing Olivia to tense, and a fist to form. “She probably doesn’t like you because you are a bad daughter and don’t listen when she says to dump Bill.’ “Why don’t you mind your god damn business?’ Bill returned, his hand going to her lower back to try and calm her down. “Wait you two are together?” Malarkey asked surprised, he couldn’t imagine sweet Olivia being with Bill. ‘Yes, they are.’ Amber answered smugly, her eyes on Olivia. “Amber, that wasn’t any of your business. And it wasn’t your place to say anything.” The taller girl shrugged her shoulders and smirked at her. “Liv, baby. Don’t.” Bill warned if the rest of the company hadn’t just joined them, he would have let her go. “I am warning you, Amber, you say one more god damn word, and I will make sure you get transferred out of Easy. Even if it’s the last thing I do.”


End file.
